The Guild's quest board was crowded that morning, adventurers jostling shoulder to shoulder for postings. JP hung back, fiddling with his new belt-rig satchel like a kid with a new toy, occasionally making items pop in and out just to test the feature.
"Stop showing off," Lyra muttered. "You'll blow your cover before we even get a quest."
"Hey, I'm discreet," JP whispered back, only for a clatter to sound as a bundle of herbs blinked into existence and fell onto the floorboards. Several heads turned. JP quickly scooped them up, flushing red. "…Mostly discreet."
Lyra pinched the bridge of her nose. "Mostly dead if you keep that up."
Before JP could argue, she pointed to a relatively tame quest notice: [Harvest Glowcaps – Forest Edge].
"Safe. Easy. And it pays just enough to cover the inn for a few days," Lyra said.
JP nodded, relieved. "Perfect. No wolves, no bandits, no velvet-wearing death merchants. Just mushrooms. Mushrooms don't stab you."
"Unless they're poisonous."
"Thanks for the optimism," JP muttered.
The forest edge was bathed in dappled sunlight, the air damp with morning dew. JP crouched near a fallen log, gently prying bioluminescent glowcaps from the bark. His Appraisal shimmered:
[Glowcap Mushroom]Stable light source when dried. Low alchemy value. Edible if cooked carefully.
He grinned. "Okay, these are basically nature's nightlights. I can work with this." He tucked a handful into his satchel with a satisfying flick—no rummaging required.
Meanwhile, Lyra scouted ahead, bow in hand, ears pricked for danger. She moved with a predator's ease, every step silent. JP paused to watch her for a moment, thinking—not for the first time—that she was leagues above him in combat. His job was to make sure his tinkering actually kept them alive.
"JP," she called softly, "over here."
He hurried over and found her kneeling by a bush. Beneath it, tangled in roots, was a chunk of crystal, faintly humming with mana.
JP's eyes widened. Appraisal flickered:
[Mana Resonance Shard]Rare alchemy material. Potential to amplify minor enchantments.
"Jackpot," JP breathed, practically bouncing on his heels. "With this, I can upgrade the lamp cores. Maybe even the Pulse Stakes. Lyra, this is—"
"—something we hide," she cut in, wrapping the shard in cloth and slipping it into her pouch. "We'll report the mushrooms, not this."
JP nodded reluctantly, though his grin never faded. Even a "simple" quest had turned into an opportunity.
By the time the sun began to dip, they'd gathered more than enough glowcaps and headed back. JP was practically skipping, rambling about potential upgrades to cooking kits, lamps, even arrowheads. Lyra let him chatter, the corners of her lips betraying the faintest smile.
For one day, it felt almost normal—just two adventurers doing honest work.
But in the alleys beyond the Guild, shadows were already moving, eyes fixed on the inn where JP and Lyra would return.